Savior
by Kai Maciel
Summary: After the war ended, the world ended with it. In death, Naruto drowns in despair for being unable to be the savior everyone hoped until he's offered a deal to bring the world and everybody back. However, it comes with a heavy price: the existence of Uzumaki Naruto. Time Travel
1. Death and Birth

**This idea was born after reading several time travel stories and an exhausted mind who should try to focus more on her exams than day-dreaming. **

**Either way, I like to try new ideas. I hope it's not too weird, if it is… well, at least I had fun with it ^_^**

**I hope you do to. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Death and Birth**

死と誕生 (_Shi to tanjō_)

The moment everything became silent, Uzumaki Naruto knew he was dead.

Just instants ago, the blond boy had been surrounded by despair, terror, pain and chaos. The end of the world was deafening, the earth itself cracked and burst into flames and lava, the wind was hot and powerful, the sky had turned dark and thunder roared. But what troubled Naruto the most were the screams.

Everybody was yelling, crying and shouting. There was pain and dread on every single voice, but no one was able to avoid the mayhem and destruction that Tobi had started. Not Tobi himself, not Naruto, not Sasuke, who was right beside him, not Kakashi, not the Kages… no one.

The last thing Naruto remembered was the blast of red, black and yellow that swallowed the world. He remembered looking at Sakura's tearful eyes and then Sasuke's appalled face before the blast caught them. He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that he had jumped on top of Sasuke in an instinctive attempt to protect him. He couldn't remember it clearly; maybe he had just imagined it.

The world shattered like glass. Reality itself was distorted and broken. There was no limit between the world of the living and the dead, no present or future, no human or tailed beast. They all vanished into the oblivion.

He felt a brief moment of pain and then nothing. Suddenly, the world was silent and dark. Everything was over, it was all gone.

Everybody was dead.

"_If I'm dead… then why do I feel the floor under me"_ the blond boy thought.

Naruto found he was lying on something cold and opened his eyes. Surprised, to say the least, the teenager realized that he was in some sort of white, round chamber.

"What…? What the hell?" Naruto asked, his voice echoing through the bright room as he stood up. "Where am I? What happened?"

Naruto hated feeling confused and being lost only made things more frustrating. Trying to calm down, the blond crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. Only a second later, it all came back to him.

"The blast… No!" Naruto turned around. "Guys! Where is everybody? Sasuke! Sakura-chan! Kakashi-sensei! Where are you? Is anyone out there?"

No matter how many times he shouted the names of his friends, comrades and allies, Naruto could only hear the sound of his echo in that damn white room that was starting to piss him off.

"Where are you? Where is everybody?"

"They won't answer you."

With his blue eyes opened wide with shock, Naruto turned around and found an elderly man he didn't recognize. Though he was old, the teen had to admit he looked quite fierce with his elaborated robes and his golden staff.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, his body tensing and ready to battle.

"Relax, Uzumaki Naruto" the old man said kindly. "I am not your enemy."

"Hmph! Am I supposed to just take your word for it?" Naruto yelled.

"No… but I'm not going to attack you. I wish to speak you" the man said quietly before smiling. "No wonder Kurama got along with you. You two were quite feisty."

Naruto blinked and his muscles relaxed. "How do you know Kurama?"

"I know him from a very long time… long before you or your parents were born, actually."

Naruto realized the lack of a presence he had always with him as far as he could remember. It was a weird feeling and it took him a while to understand what was missing. The Kyuubi! Kurama! He was gone! They were separated from each other for the first time!

"Where is Kurama? I can't feel him anymore!" Naruto asked.

The man lowered his eyes and his smile faded. "I'm afraid Kurama was destroyed… he's dead. Just like the other Tailed Beasts and every other living thing on the world. They're dead, like you."

Naruto's blue eyes widened and his lip trembled. He knew he was dead, he remembered dying. But hearing that everyone else was dead too… it was just too overwhelming.

"They're dead… they're all dead" the boy whimpered, as his knees gave away. "I… I failed… I failed everyone! It's all my fault! I couldn't protect them… and now… it's over. Everything is over!"

The older man kneeled in front of the crying boy. He didn't touch him or tried to comfort him, because he understood his sorrow and regret, his feelings of being unable to save those he loved.

"What sort of savior am I?" Naruto continued through his sobs, hitting the ground with his fists. "I couldn't save a single person! Not one! The whole world is gone because I…"

"It wasn't your fault, Naruto" the old man said.

"Shut up! You don't understand! I should have been able to stop him! That fucking maniac! Why? They all believed in me. Why couldn't I save them? Why did it all go wrong?" Naruto thought of his parents, of his friends and all the people who had believe in him, to whom he had swore that he would save everybody, that he would make the world better.

His mom and dad, who died protecting him and believing he would be a savior someday; Jiraiya-sensei, who thought he would finish his quest for peace, the Kages, Tsunade Baa-chan and Gaara, Nagato, Itachi, Iruka, Granny Chiyo, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, all his friends and comrades from Konoha who called him a hero, all those ninja who had died in the war to protect him, and Sasuke, who he never got to save from his hatred. He had failed them all.

The old man could only stare and watch the young boy's heart shatter with all that grief. This child was carrying the honor and burden of a savior on his shoulders and, even though he had died and all his future and dreams had perished with him, he wept for others and not himself.

This boy might be exactly what he had been waiting for: someone selfless, honest and caring, but also brave and strong. A mere child who had been able to unite nations with his golden heart, turn vicious enemies into friends, who carried a will of iron from all of those he met and the power and names of the Nine Tailed Beasts and their Jinchūriki .

"Naruto… if there was way to bring everyone back, to save their lives… What would you do?" the old man asked carefully.

The blond raised his head immediately, tears still running down his checks but his eyes shining with hope. "Is there a way? Do you mean it? Tell me what it is!"

"Patience. It's a lot more complicated than you think."

"Just tell me!" Naruto insisted, almost grabbing the old man. "Can you do it? Can you help me save them?"

The old man waited a few seconds, staring deep into the young boy's heated eyes. "Yes, there is a way. I can do it, but not alone…"

"I can help!" the blond interrupted. "I'll do anything you ask, Kami-sama!"

"Eh? I'm not God, boy" the old man said. "I used to live in your world a long time ago. People thought I was a God too because of my powers. I too tried to become a savior and died. I thought I had done everything right, but… it wasn't enough. I left many things unfinished and that also caused the world to vanish. I knew it would happen someday, so I've been waiting for another savior to come."

Naruto got up and stared at the older man with a big smile on his face. "You don't have to wait anymore! I'll do anything you need, Jii-chan! If that will bring everyone back, then I'll do anything!"

The old man's eyes became solemn. "Even if it comes with a very heavy price?"

Naruto's smile faded. "Price?"

"Like I said, I can bring the world back into existence but that will require a sacrifice. I'm not going to lie and say it's something small… it's a very heavy price on your behalf."

Naruto blinked but his eyes never left the old man's face. "What kind of sacrifice?"

"Your own existence."

Naruto paled and felt his mouth go dry. "What? My existence? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that if you agree to do this, I'll bring everything back to a certain point in time, except you" he answered softly, studying the boy's shocked expression. "I'll bring back the world and its people, but you won't exist anymore. It would be a world where Uzumaki Naruto was never born. Your life for theirs, it's your choice."

Naruto was taken aback; he didn't know what to say. A world where he didn't exist? That would mean that everyone he loved was going to live without him. He would never be a part of their lives.

"You can choose, Naruto" the old man said. "You can move on to the other realm or you can bring the people back to life in exchange for your existence. It's your choice alone and there is no way back, so think wisely."

"There's no need to think" the blond said, his blue eyes filled with determination. "I made my choice. You can erase me, Jii-chan."

"Do you understand what you're saying? Uzumaki Naruto will not exist! Are you okay with the world existing without you? Can you cast aside yourself for them? Even for those who wouldn't feel grateful for your sacrifice?"

Naruto knew the old man was talking about Sasuke, but his smile and his decision didn't waver one bit. "I would gladly give my life for them. Sure… I'd be lying if I said it doesn't make me sad that I won't be with them anymore. However, they will be alive and that's good enough for me!"

The old man looked deep into Naruto's eyes and saw the honesty of his words. The boy was smiling genuinely at the thought that he could save his loved ones and the world, not despairing over the terrible price.

"You are a remarkable boy, Uzumaki Naruto" he said, raising his hands and clapping them together. Out of the blue, everything turned into light and an enormous power burst from the old man's body. "I will bring back your world and its people. Let us hope that this time, the future will be brighter."

Naruto smiled and looked at his hands; they were fading into light with the rest of his body. He could also feel his consciousness disappearing. It wasn't painful; it felt like going to sleep.

Just before he faded away, Naruto's last thoughts were about his friends and all the people he had made bonds over his short life. He was glad that he had been able to save them after all, but also saddened because he knew he wouldn't see them again.

"_If I had one wish left… it would be to spend more time with them"_ he thought, a single tear running down his cheek as Uzumaki Naruto faded from existence.

The old man was able to sense the teenager's thoughts and smiled kindly. He was definitely one of a kind and didn't deserve such a cruel fate. So, the old man used more of his remaining power to give the new planet a better chance to change the future and, hopefully, avoid some people's previous mistakes.

However, that wasn't up him anymore.

* * *

_July 23rd, Konohagakure_

Uzumaki Kushina was sitting at the table of her living room, rubbing her growing belly. She couldn't believe that in less than two months, she was going to become a mother and finally hold her precious baby boy in her arms.

When the doctor confirmed the baby was a boy, she found herself imagining how he would look like. A child from her and Minato, from the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero and Konoha's Yellow Flash… Their child was definitely going to be amazing.

"What are you laughing at, Kushina?" Minato asked, placing a warm and gentle hand on her shoulder before sitting in a chair next to her.

"I was wondering how Naruto is going to look like" she said with a grin. "I mean… he's a child you and I conceived together. I'm trying to imagine what he's going to take after me."

Minato laughed and placed his hand on his wife's pregnant belly, he had to admit those thoughts had crossed his mind.

"I hope he inherits your hair" the Fourth Hokage said.

Like always, Kushina blushed. "I haven't thought about that! But now that you mentioned it, I would like him to have your face."

"Huh? My face?"

"Sure, you looked girly as a kid but you became very handsome after a few hears. I hope Naruto gets the best from both of us."

"Then he won't get your personality" Minato joked. "I don't think the world could handle the two of you."

"What? What's wrong with my personality?" Kushina shouted, while her husband carefully moved away from her reach. "I'm a strong, confident and cheerful person. Naruto would be blessed to get that from me! You're too passive, Minato! Our boy will be a badass like his mommy!"

The Yondaime could only laugh. "I guess you're right…"

"You're damn right, I'm right! You'll see! He…"

Without a warning, Kushina went pale as a ghost and fell from her chair. Minato caught her in his arms and pulled her against his chest, his eyes wide with shock and worry.

"Kushina! What's wrong?"

The red-head Jinchūriki started to gasp and whimper from the immense pain that pierced her body like hundreds of kunai. Her worried blue eyes looked nervously at her stomach, where the pain came from.

"Mi-Minato… the baby… the baby…" she whimpered, grabbing her aching belly. "It hurts… It hurts so much! Something is wrong with the baby! Something is wrong with Naruto!"

"Please… just stay calm, Kushina" Minato said, though his heart was also racing painfully with panic. "We'll go to the hospital now. I'll call the Sandaime. It's going to be okay! Naruto is gonna be alright!"

When Minato lifted his wife in his arms, they finally noticed the big pool of blood that was growing under Kushina.

* * *

Only a few miles away, another woman was also whimpering and crying in pain while a group of three midwives tried to ease her pain and calm her down. Even though it was her second time, Uchiha Mikoto was still amazed with the pain from childbirth.

"I can see the head!" one of the midwives said. "Please keep pushing, Mikoto-sama!"

Mikoto had to close her mouth to prevent another scream. Her long black hair was spread across the bed and glued to her sweaty forehead, her face twisted from the pain and effort. She had been twenty hours in labor already, not even Itachi's birth had been this long.

Then again, this pregnancy had been a little different. Unlike her first one, she had decided not to know the sex of the baby. She wanted it to be surprise. Her Itachi had already proven himself to be an exceptional child and was going to be a great leader of the Uchiha Clan, so she hoped this second child's life would be a lot easier and carefree.

The two men of her life, her husband and her son, were waiting on the other side of the Mansion and a midwife was going to call them right after this little one was born.

Itachi was so excited to become a big brother. She couldn't wait to be able to hold her two children. It didn't matter if her youngest was a boy or a girl, she had already thought of names for either of them.

"Just a little bit more. You can do this, Mikoto-sama!"

Mikoto pushed with all the strength she had and, for a moment, only her groans could be heard in the room. Then she heard a small whimper, followed by the unmistakable cry of an infant.

"Congratulations, it's a healthy baby boy" the younger of the midwives said with a big smile on her face, as she cleaned the small newborn.

Mikoto lifted her head and felt tears in her eyes when the midwife brought her baby to her. Carefully, the raven woman held her second child for the first time, marveling on how beautiful he was. He had raven hair just like hers and, even though he was still crying, he looked like the most beautiful baby in the whole world.

"Hello Sasuke" she said tenderly, pushing the baby's body against her chest and calling him by the name she chose for him for the first time in his life. "I finally get to see you."

Sasuke continued to cry by his mother's side, while she smiled and rubbed his back. When the midwife had to take him to clean him up, Mikoto almost refused because she felt like holding him forever.

"How are you feeling, Mikoto?" the oldest of the midwives, a middle aged woman with a lot of experience, asked with a smile through her tired expression.

"Happy" Mikoto answered, leaning against the pillows. "Exhausted… but very happy."

"You did wonderfully. You should be proud of yourself."

Mikoto was about to thank her when another contraction made her yell in both pain and shock.

"What's wrong?" the midwife asked, instantly looking at the young mother's birth canal.

"I… I felt another contraction…" Mikoto said, groaning as another one pierced her body. "What's happening? This should be over. It… it never happened before… what… AH!"

The older woman stared at Mikoto's still bulging belly and her dilated cervix. Cautiously, she felt the younger woman's abdomen and her black eyes widened as she felt a huge mass. Decades as a midwife told her what she still couldn't believe, however, one look at Mikoto's birth canal quickly confirmed what she suspected.

"Mikoto-sama, I'm sorry but you can't rest just yet" the older woman said, positioning herself for the hard work she was about to get.

"What… what do you mean?" Mikoto asked, trembling with pain. "What's wrong with me?"

"It's not you Mikoto-sama, it's your third child" she said, as Mikoto's black eyes widened. "You're having twins."

"Twins? There's… Ah! Another baby?" she asked. "How is it possible? No one saw anything in the hospital!"

"I'm seeing the baby right now, so I can tell you _**it is possible**_" the midwife said, frowning. "This one is going to be a bit harder. The baby is breech, so it's going to need more help getting out."

Mikoto's expression went from disbelief to fear in a second. "Breech? Will the baby be alright?"

"We'll make sure of it."

The older midwife called the other two and Mikoto found herself pushing and screaming again. She still couldn't believe that she was having a third baby, but that didn't matter. She wasn't going to let this little one die!

During what seemed like an eternity, Mikoto cried and moaned as the older midwife tried to turn the baby inside her womb from feet first to head first. Mikoto honestly though she and her baby were going to die, she couldn't take it anymore and the baby just wouldn't come out. She was so tired that when the pain finally subsided, she didn't even hear the newborn crying for the first time. After cleaning the sweat from her eyes, Mikoto finally heard the powerful scream of the baby.

"Dear Lord, this one is a fighter Mikoto-sama" the midwife told her, cleaning the infant in warm water and a clean towel. "Look at him! After all that fighting and he can still yell like a warrior ready for battle."

The midwife placed the newborn on Mikoto's hands and the young woman stared at the crying infant in both awe and then immense relief and love. The child was the carbon copy of Sasuke; they were identical like two drops of water. Nevertheless, the feelings she had for this baby were different.

The babies could be twins, but she could already see that they had different personalities just moments after their birth. Sasuke had cried softly and looked peaceful on her arms, while this little surprise baby was screaming his heart out, like he was announcing his unexpected arrival to the whole world.

"Hello" Mikoto said to the baby. "I'm sorry I didn't know you were coming too, but I'm glad you did."

The baby was still crying but calmed down a little bit, while his mother cuddled him close to her chest. Shortly, he was fast asleep.

* * *

Minutes after the midwife had brought Sasuke to Fugaku and Itachi, she was called urgently by the others because something unexpected had happened to Mikoto. The Uchiha Leader wanted to know what was wrong with his wife, but no one told him anything.

Itachi, who was holding his newborn baby brother quite skillfully for a five year old, looked at his father with worry in his black eyes. He didn't say anything, but they both feared the worst had happened to Mikoto.

That was why, when the three midwives finally came out, he didn't wait for their response and entered his wife's room. To his dismay, Mikoto was sitting on her bed with a big smile on her tired face and she had something in her arms… another baby.

The happy mother smiled at her surprised husband before turning to Itachi. "Itachi, give him to me" she asked, pointing the baby he was holding. "And come here too. There's another brother you need to meet."

Itachi walked slowly towards his mother's bed and handed her Sasuke carefully. Though her arms were tired, Mikoto held her twin sons happily.

Itachi was still looking at his unexpected baby brother, with more than curiosity in his young eyes, it was complete disbelief. If one looked closely, they would see a lot more maturity than it was expected in a five year old, even though he was a prodigy.

Itachi's eyes had seen a lot, though not in this lifetime. He was still trying to understand what had happened after he had returned to the afterlife when he had forced Kabuto to release the Edo Tensei.

Right now, he looked at Sasuke and this baby who was not supposed to exist.

"Itachi? Don't you want to say hello to your other brother?" Mikoto asked, blissfully unaware of her eldest son's thoughts.

Itachi stared attentively at his new sibling, who looked exactly like Sasuke. He didn't know why this baby had been born, but he couldn't help feeling warmth in his chest when he looked at him. Though it was strange, he felt like he knew him.

Slowly, Itachi leaned towards Sasuke's twin brother and stroked his thin raven hair.

An hour later, both babies were placed on a crib while their mother slept in her bed, next to them. In his sleep, Sasuke's touched his twin's hand and their fingers intertwined.

* * *

**One-Shot or continue? **

**Like I said, it's different. Should this be a one shot or should I continue it? Hmm…**

**Please tell me what you thought! I would like you know your theories about what just happened.**

**See ya!**


	2. Hope in the Sorrow

**I decided to continue this story. I never got so many reviews on a first chapter! I'm so happy!**

**However, be warned, if I continue this it will be written in my way. This won't be your usual time travel where the author rewrites the "Naruto" plot, there are a lot of stories like that already and it's not something I would like to do. Plus forcing everybody to change their ways a second time, like Naruto did the first time is too tiresome…**

**Itachi remembers his past. Is he the only one? No. **

**Does everyone else remember too? No. Some people remember, others don't. You'll see who along the way.**

**My rule about writing a story: the author must like his/her own story. I can't write a story I don't like.**

**Sorry for rambling. Here's the second chapter, I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Hope in the Sorrow**

悲しみでお願い致します _(Kanashimi de onegaiitashimasu)_

_October 10th, two months later_

Minato woke up slowly from a restless sleep. It seemed that ever since that fatidic day on July 23, he always felt restless, tired and absolutely drained of happiness.

As he stretched his hand to his wife's side of the bed, he only felt the cold sheets which meant that Kushina was already up. She had been suffering from terrible insomnias and, when she could sleep, it seemed she was always plagued by terrible nightmares.

With a sigh, Minato got up, got dressed and went to their kitchen. Like he expected, Kushina was sitting at the table, still in her nightgown. Her long red hair was unkempt and dull, partially covering her hollow eyes and her pale face. She had lost a lot of weight and looked sicker than ever.

Kushina looked completely different from the tomboyish, lively and fierce woman that Minato had known and loved for most of his life. This woman looked like her ghost; her broken body reflected her shattered heart. Seeing her like this, watching her wither every day, destroyed a little of Minato's soul as well.

"Good morning, Kushina" Minato said, trying to smile as he sat in front of her. However, his wife didn't even react to his presence. "Did you get any sleep?"

She slowly shook her head, her eyes refusing to look at her husband. "I tried… but I couldn't fall asleep."

Minato nodded. "You could have woken me. I could have tried to help."

"No. You need to sleep" Kushina said in a monotone voice that made Minato's chest ache. "You wouldn't be able to help."

The blond Hokage closed his fists under the table. No matter how hard he tried, Kushina just wouldn't let him help her. She literally shut him out of her heart ever since they lost Naruto; she was too focused on her own pain to see his.

Even though he had rushed her to the hospital in a second, despite all the attempts made by the best medic-nin and even with a sealing team ready with the Third Hokage, Naruto was stillborn. Minato would never forget how his son looked so beautiful and perfect. He was blond like Minato and had the cutest whisker-marks on his face. He looked like he was just sleeping, that was why it was so hard for him and Kushina to accept that he was dead.

Even with the baby out, Kushina wouldn't stop bleeding. Thus, because he didn't want to lose his wife as well, Minato gave the doctors permission to remove Kushina's womb and save her life. Kushina passed out and the first thing she demanded when she woke was to see and hold Naruto, refusing to believe that he was dead.

"He's just sleeping! Are you all blind?" she yelled to the doctors and the heartbroken Minato. "Look Minato! Look at him! He's fine, he's perfect! He's not dead! Tell them he's not dead!"

But Naruto was dead. Their little baby boy didn't even have the right to breathe for the first time. When the doctors finally took him, Minato had to restrain Kushina to prevent her from following them while hearing her cry that they were stealing their baby from them. The next news absolutely destroyed Kushina's heart: she would never have another child; there would be no second try.

Both grieving parents tried to find out why this tragedy had happened. Their soul needed someone or something to blame and direct their anger. The first choice was the Kyuubi and the seal, since it was so near the baby and the womb, but no one was able to find proof that the Fox was responsible for Naruto's miscarriage. The seal was intact and there was no activity from the tailed beast inside Kushina.

One would think that the monstrous beast would choose that moment to try and break free, but it didn't. The Sandaime and the elders were perplexed by the Fox's strange pacific behavior. Kushina, after finally accepting her son's death, went into her subconscious to yell at the Kyuubi, certain that it was its fault that Naruto had died. The Nine-Tails, however, didn't even react to her rage and accusations, he actually looked saddened. The only thing he managed to say after Kushina was too exhausted to keep screamed was that he didn't do anything to hurt Naruto, which surprised the red-head because the Kyuubi she knew wouldn't care less about her baby and even less call him by the name they chose for him. Then, the Fox lowered his head and whispered:

"Why Naruto? Why didn't you come back too?"

Kushina was so tired that she thought she had heard the Fox wrong. His words didn't make any sense. After that, she never talked to the beast again.

Naruto's autopsy was inconclusive. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the infant. He looked perfectly healthy aside from being dead. It seemed that his heart had just stopped beating from no apparent reason. It was a rare occurrence but it happened, they called it sudden antenatal death syndrome, a long name for something that had no answers.

Namikaze Naruto was buried in Konoha's cemetery, in the presence of his parents and many of their friends. The ceremony was so painful for Kushina that she burst out in tears and fainted, calling for her baby's name. That had been her last hope that it had all been a mistake, Naruto was going to wake up any minute. As he was buried, all hope died.

After that, Kushina seemed to have died inside too. She couldn't sleep or eat, she wondered around the house like a ghost or crying beside Naruto's crib, holding the clothes she had chosen so cheerfully for him. Minato was afraid to leave her alone because her behavior was getting worse. Once he had been called in his office because some ninjas had found his wife on the tallest roof of the village, as if she was going to jump.

Minato didn't yell and treated with all the love and understating he had, but he was reaching his limits. He was also grieving, but he couldn't break down because Kushina needed him to be her solid ground. He swallowed his tears and supported his beloved wife, though she never seemed to appreciate or even see him.

Yesterday, Minato had mentioned that maybe it was time to remove the crib and Naruto's things, hoping it would help Kushina deal with the loss. However, she reacted like he was trying to force her to forget Naruto and refused to let him take her baby's things.

_**Her baby**_. Not _**"our"**_ baby anymore. Naruto was her loss and Minato played no part in it. She wouldn't let him grieve with her.

Minato made their breakfast and placed a hot mug of milk in front of Kushina, hoping she would try it at least.

"Kushina, please… you need to eat" Minato said softly, his blue eyes filled with sadness. "Please try. I know it's hard, but you have to try."

"Why?" she asked, looking at her hands. Her grief was beyond tears by now. "Why do I have to try? I don't want to."

Minato shivered, but he remained calm. "You have to eat, Kushina. This can't go on; you're going to get sick."

Kushina remained silent. It was obvious that death didn't scare her at all, she would welcome it. "Maybe it's fate. Maybe I'm fated to die too."

The Yondaime clenched his fists, traces of fear and anger finally showing on his usually smiling face. "Don't say that, Kushina. Please, don't say that…"

"Why not? It's the truth" she said in a monotone voice. "I feel empty, Minato. My heart is empty… My son is gone."

"**Our son**, Kushina!" Minato exclaimed, weeks of patience coming to an end. "For God's sake, Naruto was my son too! Don't you see how sad I am? Can't you see that I miss him too?"

Even though it was the first time Minato had yelled at her since Naruto died, Kushina remained unaffected by his words or his pain. "Minato… there's nothing I can give you now. I can't be a mother; I can't be a wife… I'm nothing. You deserve a family and a woman who can't give you tons of children. I can't give you that."

For a moment, Minato was too shocked to speak. When he was able to comprehend what Kushina had said, he finally burst. "What the hell are you saying, Kushina? You want me to find another woman because you can't have children anymore? Are you out of your mind?"

"I lost everything… I don't have anything to give you Minato. You should find someone who isn't broken and incomplete like me."

"I don't want anyone else but you! Why can't you see that?" Minato yelled, becoming more infuriated because Kushina still remained impassive. "I lost my son too! I loved him and I couldn't do anything to save him! It hurts! It hurts even more because I feel like I've lost more than my son that day. I lost you too! You don't see me Kushina, though I'm right here for you! I always was! I lost my wife, my love, my best friend… please come back to me. Please don't shut me out! I want us to lean on each other, let me grieve with you."

Kushina slowly looked at Minato and stared at him with her tired eyes. "I'm going to the hospital today; I have an appointment with the doctor. You should leave too… You're gonna be late."

Minato's lips trembled. He wanted to grab his wife and shake her. He wanted to make her understand how much he loved her and missed her. Instead, he punched the table and it broke in two, breaking the mugs and spilling the water and milk on the floor.

Aside from a single surprised blink, Kushina still didn't react.

Furious, Minato grabbed his cloak and left the house. He chose to jump through the roofs so he wouldn't to deal with people. He just couldn't talk to anyone right know and was too mad to say anything. There was no doubt he would end up yelling something hateful and hurt someone else's feelings. On the other hand, he felt like punching someone into a bloody pulp. He just wanted to find a way to vent all his anger and sorrow somehow, or else he was going to blow.

When he arrived at the Hokage's Office, the guards and the other ninjas stayed out of his way as soon as they saw his infuriated face. Just as well, he didn't want to see or talk to anyone right now. He just wanted to be left alone.

However, when he opened the door to his office, he saw a tall person leaning against his desk. Has Minato opened his mouth to ask the person to get out of his office, the man turned around and smiled kindly at the blond Hokage.

"Hi Minato!" Jiraiya said smiling, though his eyes remained sad. "I thought I would find you here."

Minato felt his muscles relax, his anger giving away to completely different feeling.

"Sensei?"

Jiraiya put down his scroll. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. I truly wish I had been here."

Minato vaguely noticed the door closing behind him. His feet felt glued to the ground.

"Sensei… Sensei, Naruto is dead" Minato said, tears behind his blue eyes.

The older ninja nodded. "I know Minato. I'm sorry."

"He was stillborn" Minato went on. "I couldn't do anything. No one could do anything. I was going to be a Dad, now my son is dead. Why? Why is he dead? Why did he have to die? He was so perfect. Everything was going so well… Why my baby? Why my family?"

When Jiraiya opened his arms and walked towards Minato, the blond didn't even hesitate and hugged his former teacher and the closest thing he had to a father. He felt so tired and he was hurting, for just once he wanted be comforted.

Jiraiya didn't say anything; he simply hugged his crying apprentice and rubbed his back. As a writer, he knew when words had no effect.

"Sensei… I don't know what to do anymore" Minato sobbed. "I already lost Naruto and now I'm losing Kushina too. She doesn't listen to me, it's like she lost the will to live. I'm scared sensei. I don't want to lose her too!"

* * *

Kushina left the doctor's office even more troubled. Her doctor had been understanding, patient and very professional, she couldn't complain about her. However, Kushina knew that she wasn't going to follow any of the doctor's advice though she had promised to try.

Her doctor told her that she was healing just fine from her hysterectomy, but was worried because she had lost weight again. She prescribed Kushina more vitamins and told her how important it was to eat and sleep and how that could make her sick. Kushina didn't have the strength to justify herself and told the doctor she was going to try to eat more. The doctor also asked if Kushina had changed her mind and wanted to talk to someone, like a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Like always, she refused.

"Try at least to talk to your husband" the doctor said kindly. "You don't have to go through all this alone."

Kushina didn't say anything but the doctor's words were still echoing in her head. She felt guilty for causing Minato so much sorrow, for not being able to help him like he helped her. However, she couldn't bring herself to do anything. She felt empty and incomplete now that her baby was gone. She felt responsible. She was the one who was carrying him inside her and she had failed to bring him safe and sound into this world.

Minato would never understand her feelings. He wasn't the one who felt the baby move and kick for eight months. He wasn't the one who would never be able to have children. He could and should find another woman, a complete woman, who would be able to give him the happy family he deserved. Kushina was just a failure, as a mother and a wife, he should leave her alone. Her heart was too broken to ever feel love and joy again.

Kushina knew she would mourn Naruto's death all her life. She wished she had died instead of him.

"Please… there has to be someone. Anyone!" a woman's distressed voice echoed through the white corridors of the hospital, catching Kushina's attention.

When the red-head looked up, she saw a raven haired woman talking… no, pleading to a doctor, who shook his head with sadness. The woman's onyx eyes were became red and filled with tears, her hands grabbing the doctor's white coat with increasing desperation.

"Please… I beg of you… there has to be a way" she pleaded, tears running through her cheeks. "Have you tried all the donors? Maybe we can find another donor outside the clan. There has to be someone!"

"Uchiha-san…" the doctor said, grabbing her shaking hands and looking at her tearful eyes. "I'm won't lie to you. If there wasn't a single compatible donor in your clan, the chances that we'll find one outside are very low. Meanwhile, the baby is in pain, day and night. Every time we keep him alive waiting for a compatible donor, he'll keep suffering."

The woman lowered her head, her arms crossed over her chest as if she was shielding her heart. "I know. I know he's in pain, but I can't just let him die. He's my baby! How can I let my baby die? If there's a chance to save him, I'll take it. I won't give up."

"Uchiha-san… I'm sorry to say this, but you should prepare yourself for the worst. We'll do anything in our power to keep him alive, but this way of living is very painful. Please… think about it."

The doctor left the crying woman, who pressed her pale fingers against the glass of a door. She was so shaken that she looked that she was about to faint.

"Mikoto?" Kushina asked, walking towards her crying friend.

Mikoto turned around, her dark eyes widening as she saw Kushina. "Kushina…"

Curious and surprised, maybe because she had never seen Mikoto cry so desperately before and maybe because, for the first time in weeks, she was staring at someone else in pain, Kushina stood beside Mikoto and stared deep into her desperate eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kushina asked.

"I'm fine… I'm just a little shaken, that's all" Mikoto said, wiping her tears from her eyes.

Kushina noticed that her friend also seemed to have lost weight and her eyes were red and puffy from lack of sleep. She also seemed very tired, both physically and emotionally. Then, Kushina remembered the last time she had seem Mikoto. They had met on a baby store, when Kushina was looking at baby clothes three months ago. Mikoto's pregnant belly was a lot bigger than hers and the two talked about her babies. Mikoto didn't know the sex of her baby and jokingly said she hoped she was having a girl now.

Kushina hadn't seen most of her friends ever since Naruto's death, mostly because she didn't want to see anyone and also because it was very painful to see them with their babies while hers had died. Mikoto had obviously given birth by now.

"Kushina…" Mikoto said, timidly. "I heard about your baby… I'm so sorry. I know words don't mean anything in a situation like this, but I'm truly sorry for your loss."

Kushina had heard that a thousand times already, so she just lowered her head. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she looked at Mikoto again. "Why are you here Mikoto? What happened?"

The raven haired woman looked through the glass on the door's window, her eyes becoming damp once more. Kushina followed her gaze and her dark blue eyes widened in shock when she saw a small, pale baby in an incubator, tubes of liquids stuck in his bruised arms and several machines beeping and recording his heartbeat and breathing pattern. There were so many wires and tubes connected to the little baby that he wouldn't be able to move, if he was could. The infant looked so frail and sick, even his face twitched in his sleep with pain.

"My baby is sick, Kushina" Mikoto said. "He's very, very sick. There's a problem with his blood… his bone marrow doesn't work like it should. If we took him out of those machines, he would die in hours. He's been in this hospital for almost two months. He only stayed at home for two days before I realized that something was wrong… Now, he's so weak that I can't even hold him in my arms. He has to remain in that room because he can catch an infection very easily, he's in pain everyday… and there's nothing I can do to sooth him, I can't even touch him or kiss him. All I can do is watch as he suffers and withers before my eyes."

Suddenly, Mikoto stopped talking and her body became stiff. Kushina looked inside the isolation room and saw a nurse covered with protection gloves and a mask on her face. She moved towards the baby and opened the incubator; her eyes looked pained as she lowered the needle of the syringe towards the infant's head.

"I'm sorry, honey. I have to do this" the nurse whispered, trying not to tremble when the baby started to whimper, too weak to cry any louder. "I'm so sorry…"

Mikoto paled even more and tried to grab the doors handle and stop the nurse from hurting her baby, but Kushina, feeling her head clear after a long time, grabbed and hugged her friend as she cried and sobbed.

"He's hurting! Oh baby…" Mikoto cried.

"She's giving him medication, Mikoto" Kushina said, pushing her friend away from the door. "She needs to do this."

The nurse rubbed the baby's thin raven head until he stopped crying and left. Mikoto sat in a chair in the corridor and buried her face in her hands.

"It's all my fault" the Uchiha sobbed. "I should have been more attentive during my pregnancy. I was careless and now my baby…"

Kushina sat beside Mikoto and waited until the raven's cries softened. "What do you mean Mikoto? How could his illness be your fault?"

"I… I didn't know I was having twins. No one found anything and I didn't ask…"

"Twins? You had twins?" Kushina asked.

Mikoto nodded. "Yes… two boys. Identical twins… they're alike like two drops of water. The oldest, Sasuke… I named him Sasuke, was a normal labor and he's healthy and strong, so beautiful. I thought it was over when I felt more contractions, I had no idea I had another baby inside me."

Mikoto looked at the door, where her baby was now a sleep once more.

"This one was a lot harder, because he was breech. It took thirty minutes for him to be born… the sun was setting; he was born exactly during the twilight. He was crying so loud too, not like Sasuke. I thought he was crying so loud because he wanted everyone to know he was there as well."

Kushina's gaze also focused on the door, her mind wandering to that horrible day when Naruto died. It had been twilight too when he came out, two months ago, on July…

"When the doctors told me he was sick and the only way to save was through a bone marrow transplant, Fugaku and I asked every member of our clan to give a blood sample" Mikoto went on. "No one was a match. Not me, not Fugaku, not Itachi… not even little Sasuke and he is his twin! The doctors told me the chances of finding a donor outside the family are very low and the baby keeps getting weaker. I spend most time here… I can't leave him here alone and in pain, but Sasuke needs me too… and Itachi" a tear ran down Mikoto's cheek as she thought about her other sons. "My Itachi is so kind and mature, so gentle even though he's almost a baby himself. He's been taking care of Sasuke while I'm here, but I feel like I'm abandoning them. Fugaku thinks that too…"

"What?" Kushina asked with a frown. "How can he say that? Does he come to the hospital too so you can go home and be with the boys?"

Mikoto shook her head, sad but resigned. "You know Fugaku… he loves our children, but the clan is his top priority. He buried himself in work ever since this happened. He doesn't want to get attached to a son who he's sure is going to die. He told me we should let him go… that it's cruel and selfish to keep him alive like this and that Sasuke and Itachi need me too. I want to be with them, Kushina… I wish I could be with them and be a family and give them all the attention and love they deserve… I don't know what to do. I can't even concentrate enough to create a Bunshin to help me."

Kushina stood up and walked towards the glass. Her eyes were fixed on the poor baby, who had suffered so much in his short life. She thought of Naruto, who had died even though he was healthy, while this little one had been born sick. Both boys had come into this unfair world in the twilight, between day and night.

"What's his name?" Kushina asked, still staring at the infant.

Mikoto sniffed and stared at her friend's back.

"Izana. His name is Izana… my little surprise baby" Mikoto said. She had thought about the Uchiha's forbidden jutsu: Izanami and Izanagi. Both incredibly powerful and capable to change or create reality, just like her baby's appearance had been. An existence that defied reality.

"Izana…" Kushina whispered the name softly, wishing she could touch the baby and introduce herself. She felt drawn to him, like they shared something important. "Tell me Mikoto… was he born on July 23th?"

Mikoto blinked, surprised. "Yes… How did you know? Did I tell you?"

"No, you didn't have to tell me. I felt it" Kushina said, too her friend's confusion. Her baby had died in the same day and at the same time this one had been born. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but she felt it wasn't. Just like she didn't feel that her encounter with Mikoto today, Naruto's due day, the day Minato had finally snapped and yelled, it wasn't a coincidence either. "Mikoto… I want to give my blood sample."

"What? But… Kushina…"

"I know it's a long shot" Kushina said, her old stubbornness returning. "Most likely I won't be a match, but we won't know unless we try. Right?"

Mikoto could only stare at her friends unwavering eyes. She knew Kushina long enough to recognize that look of determination.

"Kushina… I don't know if I can take another disappointment. If you're not a match…"

"Please, Mikoto… Let me try to help Izana. Like you said, he's a surprise. Maybe he'll surprise us both."

Mikoto knew her husband would never approve. He wouldn't want the Hokage's wife to help his son, but to hell with his pride. Mikoto would accept any help if it meant to save Izana's life. She would ask for blood samples from other villages and the Senju if she had to.

Besides, Kushina was more than the Hokage's wife. She was a friend.

"Thank you, Kushina" Mikoto said and they went looking for Izana's doctor.

* * *

Three hours later, while Mikoto and Kushina were eating a snack, the doctor appeared with several papers in his hand and a smile on his face.

"It's a match" he said, almost like he couldn't believe it himself. "Congratulations, it's a perfect match to Izana's."

Both Kushina and Mikoto smiled with joy, though Mikoto was still a bit fearful. "Are you sure? Are you really sure?"

"I'm sure. I could test it again, but I think the baby has been waiting for this for too long. Kushina-san… if you're ready, we can start right away."

"I'm ready!" the redhead said with a big smile on her face.

A few minutes later, Kushina was dressed in a hospital's gown and only whimpered a little when they started to take her bone marrow. The doctor had already informed them that there was a chance that, even if Izana received the transplant, he could reject it. However, Kushina felt optimist for some reason. She looked once more at Izana's cute face and she knew he was strong enough. He was going to survive.

"Kushina… I have no words to tell you how grateful I am" Mikoto said, smiling with tears in her black eyes.

"There's no need to thank me" Kushina said with a mischievous smile. "When this surprise baby grows up, make him help me around the house and run my errands while I'm on mission and we'll be even."

Mikoto smiled kindly. "Deal."

"Mikoto… it's late and you've been here all day" Kushina said, her filled with worry for her tired friend.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine!"

"Nevertheless, you should go home and rest. You can go and be with your sons, I bet Sasuke-kun misses his mama a lot" Kushina said.

"Yes… I know he does. I miss him" Mikoto said, guilt written all over her face. "Itachi too."

"See? Go home and be with your sons. I have to be in the hospital until tomorrow anyway" Kushina looked at the room where the baby was sleeping. "I'll look after Izana. He'll be just fine and tomorrow you can come and see him again."

Mikoto nodded. "I guess you're right. I'll come by first thing in the morning, and… Kushina?"

"Yes?"

"You're amazing" Mikoto said. "What is your baby's name?"

Kushina blinked. She was caught off guard by that question and the memory of her baby boy hurt like salt in a wound.

"Naruto" she answered, lowering her eyes. "His name was Naruto. I never got a chance to meet him and now… I'll never be a mother."

"Kushina that's not true" Mikoto said, placing a warm hand on her friend's arm. "You're Naruto's mother, nothing can change that. You'll always be his mommy."

Kushina's blue eyes widened and became damp. However her heart didn't feel heavy and torn this time. She felt warm and she thought of her son with a smile.

* * *

Minato was worried sick when he went home and didn't find Kushina. The first thing that crossed his mind was that she had left him or worst… Trying to remain calm, he thought of the seal he had placed on her belly and immediately teleported to her side. When he did, the young Kage was surprised by the white walls and the smell of antiseptic.

"_Where is this? A hospital?"_ Minato thought, looking around. He didn't know why Kushina would be in a place like this, she hated hospitals, even more after she lost the baby and had to remove her womb.

When Minato looked down, his jaw dropped. He saw his wife in a hospital bed!

"Kushina! What happened? Kushina!"

"Eh? Wha… what?" the redhead mumbled, waking up. "Who's here? What… Minato? Is that you?"

Without thinking, the blond man hugged his beloved wife tight, rubbing her beautiful red hair.

"I thought you were injured, Kushina" Minato said, refusing to let her go. "Or sick or even… I'm so glad you're alright. What are you doing here?"

Kushina slowly hugged her husband back. How could she forget how much of a crybaby her Minato really was? "I'm okay, Minato. I'm sorry I made you worry. I guess I fell asleep and forgot to ask someone to tell you I was in the hospital."

Minato moved away to look at Kushina, but still held her in his arms. "Why are you in the hospital? Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine. Really! But speak lower, you'll wake him up."

"Huh? Wake who up?"

Kushina rubbed her tired eyes. "Turn on the lights."

Minato did what she said and his blue his widened when he realized that there was an incubator near his wife's bed. Perplexed, he moved closer and looked at the raven haired baby sleeping while some sort of liquid entered his small veins.

"His name is Izana. He's Mikoto baby" Kushina explained. "I gave him a bone marrow transplant."

Quietly, Kushina explained her husband about Izana's disease, his pain and Mikoto's desperation, as well as his surprising birth. Minato listened attentively and also stared at the baby boy his wife was trying to save. The fact that he had been born around the same time Naruto had died had surprised him too.

"I promised Mikoto I would watch over him tonight, but the doctors wanted me to sleep in a bed and wouldn't let me be outside his door" Kushina said, like it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. "So I made them put his incubator in my room. That way I can keep an eye on him."

"Kushina…" Minato said carefully and scared. He hadn't seen his wife so lively for a long time and he hoped it wasn't going to make her suffer even more. "Kushina, what you're doing is wonderful but… this baby is not Naruto."

Kushina's eyes became sadder but she smiled. "I know that, Minato. I know he's not Naruto and no one can ever replace our baby. I don't want that. However, I felt like Izana needed me and I was right. I was the only one who was a compatible donor. I couldn't do anything to save Naruto, but I can save Izana."

Minato moved closer to the sleeping infant. He had survived a difficult birth and was trying to fight his own body. Like Kushina, somehow, Minato also felt drawn to this brave child.

* * *

Hours later, while both Kushina and Minato slept in the bed beside the incubator and the first sunbeams passed through the curtains, the baby named Uchiha Izana opened his eyes slowly.

He usually remained awake for only a few minutes before his young and tired brain demanded his body to sleep and rest. When he was awake, he usually felt pain, fatigue and confusion. His vision was fuzzy and he just saw blurred figures near him. What is more, he knew people were talking to him but he couldn't understand what they said, which was scary because he knew he was supposed to. He also couldn't speak, only cries, whimpers and gurgling came out of his mouth, which was strange too.

His memories were a blur. He couldn't remember what he had done earlier. His brain was too young to keep memories yet. He woke up when he was either hungry or in pain, then he would go back to sleep and forget all about it.

At first he had tried to fight it, remain awake and try to figure out where he was, why his body felt weird, why he couldn't get up or think straight. However, the more he tried the more confused and tired he felt and he usually ended up crying himself to sleep, where there was no confusion and no pain.

There were words that described his feelings but he couldn't remember them anymore. He knew he was… big. That's right! He was a big boy, but that thought kept slipping away like sand through his fingers. If felt right and, at the same time, it didn't. He felt small and different.

"_Where am I?"_ he asked inside his own confused mind. Soon, his eyelids became too heavy and former Uzumaki Naruto fell asleep again, unaware of his new identity as Uchiha Izana.

* * *

**Okay… I know the chapter is filled angst and hurt, but it is a necessary chapter to bond Kushina and Minato to Izana. The next ones will be happier and funnier (Hehehe! ^_^)**

**BTW, I know the name is unusual and many won't really like it. However, I fell in love with the name after I saw a character on Final Fantasy Type 0 who was named Izana. I also thought it was cute as a short for Izanagi or Izanami. Besides, I found out that written like this:**

**いざ名 ****(Izana): Emergency name**

**Sort of fitting since Mikoto only thought of "Sasuke" for a boy.**

**Also, the part of the syringe on the baby's head, that's real. In young babies, IV medication is very difficult and most times, their arms won't do.**


	3. Little Brother

**Hi! It took a while to update, but due to current manga revelations I had to rethink the plot.**

**This chapter is small, but I hope you like it. **

**Warning: Breastfeeding scene. Don't like it, just skip it.**

* * *

**Little Brother**

弟 _(__Otōto)_

_November, Konohagakure _

Mikoto was smiling from ear to ear as the nurse finally lifted Izana from his crib and put him in her waiting arms. Her baby boy looked rosy and healthy, like his terrible illness had never happened. It felt like a miracle and the raven-haired mother couldn't help but shed tears of happiness while kissing her child.

Izana had made an amazing recovery ever since he had received Kushina's bone marrow transplant, growing up and gaining the weight he needed to become a normal infant and be discharged from the hospital. Sure, they would have to check his health regularly, but he looked alright for now.

Finally Izana was coming home!

Mikoto changed her son's hospital clothes with a cerulean one-pieced pajama and wrapped his little body with a white blanket. The baby woke up when she picked him up and his onyx eyes stared at her face in awe.

"Good morning, Izana" Mikoto said, stroking her youngest son raven hair. "You're going home today, sweetie. No more needles! You're gonna sleep in a nice crib, right next to your brother. I bet you can't wait to meet them and play with them. You got a lot of presents waiting for you! Kaa-san and Tou-san are so happy to take you home!"

Mikoto didn't want to think about the fights she had with her husband when she told him about the transplant. Instead of feeling overjoyed that his son had found a donor, Fugaku's first emotion was dismay that, of all people, it had been an Uzumaki, a relative from the Senju, who had healed the baby.

"How dare you? Our son is getting better and you're mad that the donor is an Uzumaki! What kind of a father are you?" Mikoto had yelled, surprising her husband. Maybe it had been the constant fear of losing her son, her guilt or because she felt so tired of shouldering the burden of having a sick child all by herself, but Mikoto couldn't stand Fugaku's stubborn pride anymore.

"Uaah…" Izana whimpered, bringing Mikoto back to the present.

"Oh, what's wrong? Are you sleepy?" she asked, cuddling the baby close to her chest. "Don't worry; you can sleep in Mommy's arms."

The infant looked at the pretty lady that was holding him, feeling an immediate affection for her. Everything about her looked familiar, her looks, scent, touch… it all made him feel safe somehow, but also confused.

"Uchiha-san! You're still here?" a nurse said, entering the room and smiling at the miracle baby all the medical staff had come to love. "Is Izana-chan being cranky again?"

"I guess" Mikoto answered, rocking her son.

"You know… maybe he's hungry. He's been eating a lot lately."

"Really?" Mikoto caressed Izana's cheek and the baby instinctively started making sucking movements.

"You know, you can breastfeed him now" the nursed explained. "It's healthier than baby formula."

Mikoto smiled. "Thanks"

The nurse left the room and closed the door to give them some privacy. Mikoto pulled up her shirt and bra and pulled Izana's head towards it. It was funny how the baby's eyes had widened so much at the sight of her breast. If Mikoto didn't know better, she'd say her son looked embarrassed.

Slowly, he touched her breast with his tiny hands, pulling it away. Something in his head kept saying that it was really wrong, while the other part, the dominant part of his brain, longed for it. The moment his mouth reached her nipple, the baby's instincts took over and he started nursing greedily, lost in infantile bliss. The milk tasted so good and gave him a warm fuzzy feeling inside. How could he have thought that this was wrong when it felt so right?

He whimpered a little when Mikoto switched him to the other breast, but he quickly resumed nursing, his tummy filling with milk. When he looked up at the lady's smiling face, he felt nothing but love for her.

"_Mama!_" his mind thought, slowly drifting off to sleep. He knew this lady was his mommy and he loved her with all his heart, yet he was still feeling a bit confused because something in his head kept telling him that his mommy looked different.

When Izana was finally sleeping, Mikoto picked up his few belongings, once again thanked the medical staff for all their hard work and support before leaving the hospital with her baby boy and a big smile on her lips.

She couldn't wait to go home and finally introduce Izana to his brothers. Itachi had never come to the hospital because he always offered to look after Sasuke. The two seemed very close despite the age difference and Mikoto was thankful that her Sasuke had received so much love from his Nii-san when she was too busy. Hopefully, things would be different now and both her babies would get the normal life they deserved.

Mikoto was about to turn to the Uchiha Compound when she decided that there was someone else she wanted to talk to.

* * *

"Mikoto! What a wonderful surprise!" Kushina exclaimed, smiling openly.

"Hello, Kushina. I hope this isn't a bad time…"

"Don't be silly! You're always welcome" Kushina's blue eyes widened as she noticed the bundle on the raven Uchiha's arms. "Oh! Is that…?"

"Izana was finally discharged from the hospital today" Mikoto said.

"That's wonderful! Come in!" Kushina let Mikoto into the house. "Minato! We have visitors!"

The Fourth Hokage was sitting at table, reading the newspaper when he saw Mikoto and Izana. His lips immediately widened in a warm smile and he got up to greet them.

"Is this Izana?" Minato asked as Mikoto nodded. "Wow! He got so big! He sure looks a lot better."

Kushina quickly pushed Minato out of the way, so she could look at the baby closely. Izana moaned a little and opened his eyes, staring in awe at Minato and Kushina's smiling faces.

"He's so _**cute**_! How is my favorite boy?" Kushina asked, stroking the baby's head.

"Do you want to hold him?" Mikoto asked.

"Oh! Really? Of course I do" the red-head said, picking up the raven baby and cuddling him close to her chest. "Hello, Izana! Remember me? I went to see you at the hospital a few times."

The baby stared deep into Kushina's face and giggled happily, his tiny and uncoordinated hands trying to grab one of her long locks of red hair. He knew her! He remembered his mommy! Her name was Kushina and she was his mommy! But… didn't something bad happen to her? Didn't she… what was the word? Die? That's it! Didn't she die? How was she here again? Why did he feel so weak and little? He wasn't little. He was a big boy!

His head hurt! He wanted to remember but his head hurt!

"Huh? What's wrong?" Kushina whispered, trying calm down the fussing baby by rocking him back and forth. "There… there… It's alright. It's okay."

After a few minutes of cuddling and soft whispers, Izana finally fell asleep, grabbing Kushina's hair. Mikoto offered to hold the baby, but Kushina refused and the three adults sat at the table.

Mikoto was glad that her friend had gotten so much better. She had gained weight and lost the saddened look on her eyes. She had heard that the boisterous Uzumaki had even taken a few simple missions and her relationship with Minato had improved as well. They both had been very supportive, frequently visited Izana on the hospital and wanted to know his condition, something not even her husband and the clan had done.

"What's wrong, Mikoto?" Minato asked. "You look deep in thought…"

"I'm sorry. I guess I was a bit distracted…"

Kushina looked at her friend, rubbing the infant's back. "Is it Fugaku? Did you two have another fight?"

"Yes, but that's not important" Mikoto shrugged. "I know him well enough. He never thought Izana was going to survive and now that he is going home, he has no idea on how to deal with him. He hates the sympathy looks from our clansmen… Even if Izana survives, there's a big chance that he'll never be healthy enough to become a shinobi" she looked sadly at her baby. "Not all Uchiha become ninja, but the leader's children are bound to be. I often feel that most of our clansmen assume that it would be better for Izana to die instead of being a dishonor to our _elite_ clan."

"That's horrible!" Kushina cried out, instinctively pulling the baby closer to her chest.

Minato lowered his eyes. "Unfortunately, that's a usual way of thinking in most clans. Because they are born with special abilities, they feel obligated to honor their clan and their family."

"That's just stupid!" Kushina said bluntly. "Even if one of them isn't healthy enough to become a shinobi, that doesn't mean it's a life not worth living!"

Mikoto smiled and nodded before facing them. "Actually… I was hoping I could ask you both something."

"Sure! What do you need Mikoto?" Kushina asked.

The Uchiha sighed and stared at her friends in the eyes before continuing. "I have no words to express how grateful I am to you, Kushina. You saved my child and you both have been there for him and for me when no one else would. I don't think I can ever thank you enough."

"Mikoto… It was nothing. I had the chance to save your baby and I did it" Kushina said. "Believe me, being able to save him made me so happy that it probably saved myself as well."

"Still I would want to ask you something" Mikoto went on. "Would you two accept to be Izana's godparents?"

Both Kushina's and Minato's eyes widened.

"I know you didn't name him and maybe I'm crossing the line, but I don't think of anyone more suitable" Mikoto said.

"Mikoto…" Kushina said with happy tears in her eyes. "We would be honored. Right, Minato?"

"Of course" Minato exclaimed, stroking the sleeping baby's hair. "You can count on us to watch over Izana."

"Thank you" Mikoto said.

* * *

When Sasuke had fallen asleep, Itachi stopped rocking his little brother and walked back to the nursery. With his father at the Police Force and his mother in the hospital, Itachi was the one who stayed alone with Sasuke and looked after him. At first, his mother had been apprehensive but when the oldest Uchiha brother proved himself to be as responsible as any nanny and twice more caring, she quickly let him with the baby.

Despite his first shock and confusion about being in the past and alive again, Itachi was actually enjoying being able to be with his family again in peace. He had spent so much of his life living in lies and darkness that he had almost forgotten what happiness was like.

However, being a five year old child again didn't make him let his guard down and allow history to take its course. He knew that he had to prevent his clan from revolting and avoid the clan's massacre. Itachi knew that acting on his own before had been a mistake and he wasn't going to do it again.

Sasuke moaned a little when his brother placed him in his crib, but continued sleeping. Itachi had spent virtually all his time watching over his baby brother, making sure he was safe and loved. He wasn't going to let Sasuke feel neglected again or give him any reasons to feel jealous. From now on, he would look after Sasuke and trust his strength. Together, they could save their clan and the village.

Looking at the other crib next to Sasuke's made Itachi think about Izana. He had no idea why his mother had twins this time and, frankly, even though he had always supported his mother, he was convinced that Izana was going to die. The fact that Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto's mother, was the only compatible donor was even more surprising and changed this timeline in a way he wasn't expecting.

He felt more than relieved when the Kyuubi attack didn't happen and that his clan had been spared from the suspicious eyes of the elders. Nevertheless, why didn't the attack occur? Where was Madara? Could it be that he had been erased from this time or was he lurking around with another malevolent plan? Being a natural pessimist, Itachi was preparing for the latter. He could deal with the future he knew, but all this changes were throwing him off.

Also, the boy thought with a sad sigh, there had been one more change in this timeline: Naruto's death.

It all felt so terribly unfair. Naruto had been the person who fought harder for the future, the one who deserved a happy family life. Instead, he was the one who had died while they were allowed to have a second chance. Somehow, it felt like a sacrifice.

"We're home" his mother's voice echoed through the house.

Itachi left the nursery and went to hall where his mother was taking off her sandals while holding the baby.

"Tadaima, Kaa-san" Itachi said, unable to take his eyes of the infant. He and Sasuke looked so alike that it was unsettling. Itachi had never been allowed to go to the hospital, thus it was the first time he saw his youngest brother since he had been hospitalized.

"Hello, Itachi. Did you and Sasuke have a good time?" Mikoto asked, walking towards her oldest son and stroking his hair.

"We did" Itachi answered. "Sasuke already ate. I gave him a bottle. He's asleep."

"Thank you for looking after him" his mother said.

"I like doing it" the boy said, his eyes focused on the baby's sleeping face. "So… how is Izana? What did the doctor say?"

"He's fine. I have to take him there again for a checkup next Monday, but everyone is sure he's going to make a full recovery."

When Mikoto walked to the nursery, Itachi followed and watched her tucking him into the crib with the happiest smile he had seen for months.

Itachi had heard the arguments between his parents almost every night and all the meals had become silent and tense ever since the transplant. Fugaku didn't like owning anything to anyone, even less to the Hokage's wife and an Uzumaki. Itachi knew his father well enough to know that he would rather focus on that than feel hopeful and then hurt when the baby died. Unfortunately, Itachi also knew that his father hoped the baby would die instead of living a life as a sickly Uchiha. No matter how cruel and selfish it sounded, Fugaku was disappointed that Izana wasn't the strong, healthy child he dreamed of.

"I'm going to make lunch" Mikoto said, after kissing both Izana and Sasuke on the forehead. "If you want, you can go play outside Itachi. You deserve it!"

"Thank you, Kaa-san. But I want to stay here a little while" Itachi answered, staring at the two cribs. "I'm going to visit Shisui-nii-san when he comes back from the Academy."

His mother nodded, told him to play silently and left the nursery. Now alone, Itachi walked towards the cribs and stared at the twins. If they weren't wearing different pajamas, he was sure he wouldn't be able to tell them apart, however, there were so many differences between them already.

Izana frowned and grimaced before starting to moan. In a daze, Itachi leaned over his crib and watched the brother he didn't know whimper louder and louder. Because he didn't want to wake up Sasuke, Itachi carefully picked up Izana and took him out of the nursery to his bedroom across the hall. When he sat on his bed and rocked the fussing baby, he realized that, despite being identical, Izana didn't feel the same on his arms. His cries were different, louder and crankier than Sasuke's, he also didn't stay still like his twin, waving his arms and kicking him on the gut like he was trying to escape.

The truth was Itachi had never really thought about Izana as person and, to his shame, not even as a real brother because he kept waiting for someone to say that he had died. For two months, he had focused on Sasuke and Sasuke alone, the brother he already loved and knew. This new baby wasn't Sasuke. He looked like Sasuke but he was a totally different person and he was his little brother too.

"There… There… don't cry, Izana" Itachi whispered to the crying infant. "It's going to be alright. Onii-san is going to protect you. I promise I'll keep you safe."

Izana's cries became fainter and he became silent, only whimpering from time to time, his big onyx eyes focused on Itachi's face. The baby's expression seemed to change from awe to confusion as he frowned and slapped the older boy's face his tiny fists. It looked like he was trying to see if Itachi was really there.

Izana's frowning made him look so silly that Itachi had to laugh. It reminded him of Naruto's angry stares somehow, between glaring and sulking.

"Izana, stop hitting Nii-san," he said lightheartedly, grabbing his brother's tiny hand.

The baby stopped with his frowning and stared at his brother's bigger hand in awe, slowing opening and closing his fingers around his thumb. Itachi push his little brother's head to his chest and rubbed his back in circles until he had fallen asleep, effectively filling his shirt with drool.

* * *

**I've read plenty of time-travelling stories where Naruto is a baby again with all his memories, but I'm assuming that an infant's mind cannot handle a whole life of memories. Naruto will remember things once his brain is more developed and realize what happened to his body and life ^_^**

**Also, for those who are squirming because of the breastfeed… well, babies do that. I'm being realistic here (though Freud claims it's the stage of oral pleasure…)**

**Anyway, I hope you like the chapter. See ya next time!**


	4. The Reflection

**Hi! It's been a while, but I didn't forget this story. **

**Oh my God! This fic is on Tv tropes! To roamingshadow, who thought of it as important enough, THANK YOU!**

**I hope you guys keep enjoying it!**

* * *

**The Reflection **

映像 _(Eizō)_

_Konohagakure_

Naruto had spend most of the previous year sleeping and eating, too tired and distracted to pay attention to his surroundings, completely content to be able to snooze all day long without a care in the world. Sure, he had noticed that something wasn't quite right, like the presence of two women in his life that both his mind and heart acknowledged as his mommy, even though they were completely different people.

There were new people in his life too, like man who never smiled (daddy?) and a boy who was nice to him and made him giggle for some reason. He liked the big boy a lot, but he wasn't sure how he felt about the raven haired baby.

Many, many nights, Naruto woke up by the high-pitched sounds of a crying baby and it really made him upset because he ended up crying too. The baby slept right next to him, which was weird because he was a big boy and big boys don't sleep with babies! Not only that, but he ate next the baby too (both of them making a huge mess with their food) and they stayed together in the same baby park, surrounded by pillows and huge toys. Naruto knew that the baby shouldn't be so big, but he was! Actually, when mama put them next to each other, they seemed to be the same height.

By the time Naruto was able to stay awake enough time to notice things, he saw the baby move away from him when they were together and he even slapped him in the face when Naruto tried to touch his hair. Angry and in tears, he didn't hesitate to hit him right back and the two ended up crying their eyes out.

Now, there was another thing that didn't make sense… his voice was too high, just like the baby's, and he couldn't speak no matter how hard he tried. The only words that came out of his mouth were gibberish and, if he tried to speak normally, he usually felt so frustrated that it made him bawl until mommy came to cuddle him. Shortly after, Naruto realized he had no teeth, which really freaked him out.

Little by little, he started to put together the many things that didn't make sense. Not only he couldn't speak and had no teeth, but he also couldn't stand or go the bathroom. It took him months to realize that he had to wear plastic panties all the time, because he couldn't hold his pee or his poop like he used to. It was horrible to wake up with that mess under his bottom, because it was really smelly, cold and it itched. He had to cry very loud so his black haired mommy would come and clean him. The first few times, he had felt terribly embarrassed and his face would blush like a tomato before he burst into tears of shame. However, as time went by, he felt less and less self-conscious and more relieved every time it happened. Eventually, he stopped feeling embarrassed at all.

One day, after his butt was all red and hurting, he stayed awake and paid attention to mommy while she cleaned him with a wet cloth and sprinkled baby powder all over his bottom and crotch. Naruto's eyes had widened with realization the moment she lifted his legs and effortlessly taped a clean, blue diaper around his chubby, little hips.

He was a baby. He was a baby again! That was why he couldn't talk, walk or do the things he used to do before. But he didn't want to be a baby! He didn't! _He didn't!_

It was too much emotion for Naruto's baby mind to handle, so he frowned and started crying, his little fists reaching for his new mama. After minutes of rocking him back and forth, Naruto finally fell asleep; too exhausted to cry any longer.

Sometimes, he was so busy sleeping, eating and playing that he forgot that he wasn't supposed to be a baby, but when he did, he would stop on his tracks, look at his tiny hands and burst into tears of fear and confusion. Mommy had taken him to a lady dressed in white several times when he freaked out, but he always ended up going home.

"Izana…" his mommy whispered softly, holding him close to her chest with tears of alarm on her black eyes. "It's going to be okay. You're not going to be sick anymore, Izana."

Despite the fact the he couldn't understand what she was saying, Naruto found himself turn to his mother when she said _Izana_. Even unconsciously, he immediately responded to that word because he knew they meant him. He remembered that his name was Naruto but, as time went by, he started to relate both words to his identity.

He thought it was strange that no one called him _Naruto_ anymore and he tried to ignore being called _Izana_ to no avail. Soon, in his young mind, he instinctively responded to the word Izana as his name as well as the new environment where he lived now and his new family.

At the age of six months, the other baby successfully called his mama and papa and everyone acted like it was a big deal. The nice older boy had picked the raven baby up and his mommy and daddy were all over him while he stayed on his crib. He didn't like being ignored. He didn't like that the other baby got all the attention, so he started moaning and crying until someone looked at him. It took him a while to realize that he was jealous.

The nice older boy, whose face looked rather familiar for some reason, picked him up and took him outside. He rocked the baby until his cries became faint sobs and talked gently to him, while letting him hold his fingers and pull them into his toothless mouth.

"You know, Izana?" the boy said and the baby looked up at the mention of his name. "Kaa-san is always worried about you. She's afraid you'll get sick again, that's why she keeps checking on you and doesn't as much time with Sasuke. He misses her, so… try to be nice to him, alright? Sasuke just said his first words; he deserves to be praised by our parents."

Though the infant couldn't understand his older brother, there was a word that stuck in his brain, bringing a rush of thoughts and emotions from his past right back into his underdeveloped mind. He knew who Sasuke was.

Sasuke was a boy with dark hair, dark eyes and a brooding expression. Sasuke could be very mean, but he could also be nice. Sasuke was someone he had thought about for a long, long time. Sasuke was someone very special.

In the months that followed, he paid attention to the _Sasuke_ word. He would turn around to the person who said it and watch him or her attentively. That's when he saw the raven baby being picked up when they said _Sasuke_ or answer to his parents when they called that name. He noticed the black hair was growing spikier each day and the black eyes on his pouting face.

Shortly after they celebrated their first birthday, he crawled everywhere the raven baby went and tried to stay close to him even though he kept pushing him away and hit his head the nearest toy. When the raven fell asleep, he'd usually curl up against him and hold him tight, something his mother thought was endearing but made the raven baby slap and kick him when he woke up.

One day, after pushing him away as usual, the raven baby crawled as far away as he could from him and sat with his toys. They were in the leaving room, playing in the rug under mommy's watchful eye while she was cooking lunch. The raven clearly loved his older brother and his parents, but he clearly didn't like his twin. Maybe it was jealously or typical sibling rivalry, the point was that he didn't want the other baby around and liked to play either alone or with Itachi.

As he crawled in the raven's direction, the other baby turned to him.

"NO!" the raven cried out, slapping his hands on the ground. "No! No! No!"

He stopped and moaned sadly, but the raven kept repeating "No" until he finally gave up and sat on the rug. The raven's vocabulary was very good for a one year old, while he hadn't been able to say a single word so far.

"Baahh… Gah!" he gurgled, but the raven ignored him and continued playing with his toys, trying to bite off on one the plush dinosaur's eye. Suddenly, the raven's eyes widened and he started wheezing with panic, his face growing redder and redder.

The baby that had been Naruto knew something bad was going on, just like he knew the raven was hurting but he didn't know what he could do to help him. His own scream rose in throat and he started crying with all his might.

"Aaaawuu…eeeh… saaahwuueeh… sawukeh! Sawuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!"

Mikoto dropped the plate she was holding and ran to her children. She immediately picked up Sasuke and hit his back until he finally coughed the dinosaur's eye. She held him as he cried and made sure he was alright before staring at the other baby who was pulling her skirt, barely standing up.

Izana's first word had been Sasuke's name.

Later at night, when Mikoto tucked Sasuke in his crib, Izana stretched his arms in his direction and called his name again. Thus, she picked up her youngest boy and put him in Sasuke's crib, hoping the latter wouldn't push him away like usual. Instead, Sasuke stared at his twin and didn't move when he curled up against him. When Mikoto returned to wake them up in the morning, she saw her boys hugging each other.

Sasuke still didn't like to play with his twin during the day, but he couldn't sleep if Izana wasn't in his crib. Even if his brother was already sleeping, Sasuke would wriggle and fuss until his mother or Itachi came, then he would stretch his arms in the air and call for _"Zana"_. If Itachi didn't know any better, he would say Sasuke was playing tough by not letting his brother know that he needed him.

As for Naruto, or Izana, he kept following Sasuke wherever he went. He didn't have his whole memories yet, but he knew that Sasuke was very important to him and the thought of him leaving gave him shivers. Sasuke still didn't like having him around but he stopped pushing him when he got closer and allowed him to play next to him as long as he didn't take one of his toys.

Since their behavior had improved, mommy started bathing them at the same time with Itachi's help. One day, when she finished dressing Sasuke and him handed over to Itachi, Mikoto took her youngest son to another room so she could dress him with the new baby clothes she had bought. Unlike Sasuke, he hated being still and crawled away from the futon as soon as he could.

"Izana! Come here" Mikoto called, which made the baby laugh as he crawled naked towards the chiffonier and the full length mirror. He stopped when he saw Sasuke staring back at him with a huge smile on his face.

Happy, he crawled on Sasuke's direction so they could play together but when he reached him, his head bumped into something hard and cold.

"Oh, honey!" Mikoto said, rushing towards the whimpering baby. "There…There… it's alright. It's just a bump. Look! Look at the mirror, Izana. Look at you!"

The baby boy followed her pointed arm and looked at the mirror. He frowned as he saw Sasuke in mommy's arms, because **_he_ **was in mommy's arms and he couldn't see Sasuke anywhere. When she leaned forward, he reached in Sasuke's direction and saw him do the same. However, instead of touching him, his hand crushed into a cold wall.

He saw mommy waving in the cold wall and stroking Sasuke's spiky black hair, but he also felt her warm hand stroking his own hair at the same time. When he touched the cold surface and saw his own breathing fog up the other raven's confused face, his eyes widened in pure shock as he remembered what he was looking at.

A mirror. He was staring at a mirror. A mirror reflected things. A mirror reflected his face. This wasn't his face.

He remembered his face. He knew he had three whisker marks on both cheeks, his eyes were blue like the sky and his hair was yellow like the sun. Now his hair and eyes were black, just like Sasuke's.

He looked just like Sasuke. He wasn't himself anymore. He wasn't Naruto.

Trembling, Izana moved away from the mirror and screamed.

* * *

_Sunagakure_

Chiyo had returned home after a long, hard day of fishing with her brother. It was still hilarious how he believed that she was dead every single time! Tricking him always made her day.

It had been a while since she had woken up and realized that she was alive again. At first, she had felt crossed and thought it had been another Edo Tensei. Couldn't they let an old woman rest in peace? However, after a heated fight with Ebizō, in which she thought she was either being tricked in a genjutsu, hallucinating or finally gone senile, Chiyo realized that she was somehow alive again and in the past.

Obviously, she wanted to rectify the many mistakes she had done in the past, the first one being the sealing of the One-Tailed Shukaku on unborn Gaara. Unfortunately, none of her arguments stopped the Fourth Kazekage from repeating the sealing, turning his son into a Jinchuuriki and being unable to save his wife.

Since there wasn't much she could do, the old lady decided to watch over her village and somehow use her knowledge of the future to her advantage, but nothing relevant happened for a long, long time until she was awoken by a faint noise in her house.

Despite her old age, Chiyo was as alert as any young Jōnin, and she leaped out of bed silently and armed. She wondered who would dare breaking into her house and felt sorry for his imminent death as she opened the door.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The intruder had lit a candle in her basement and was staring at two of her puppets, Mother and Father. As soon as he felt her presence, he pulled his hood and his red hair shone with the candle's dim light.

"What are you doing here?" Chiyo asked, ready to attack at any moment regardless of her shock.

"I don't know" Sasori answered, still with his back to her.

"You're a missing-nin. The last place you should be is in the village you betrayed."

Sasori turned around and looked at his grandmother with his inexpressive eyes. "I don't have anywhere else to go."

"What about your Akatsuki comrades?" Chiyo asked with an angry frown.

"Things… changed" Sasori said. "I thought I could achieve my dream of immortality through their means, but I understand now that wasn't answer I was searching for."

Still suspicious, Chiyo didn't drop her kunai. "What is your answer then?"

Slowly, Sasori looked at the puppets he made of his parents. "I already had it, but I didn't know it. It's embarrassing that a boy fifteen years younger than me was able to figure it out."

Chiyo sighed and lowered her weapons. "You better make sure I don't regret this. If you try something, I'll kill you."

"Understood, Chiyo-Baa."

* * *

**I honestly hope the narration wasn't too complicated. Naruto is still Naruto in the inside, but he's growing up as Izana as well. He will have to deal with the fact that it's still him but inside another body and name, which is hard since Naruto deeply values his name and his former identity. **

**PS: Izana and Sasuke are one year old and they're starting to walk, but they still crawl a lot.**


End file.
